Extensible ladder.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

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EXTENSIBLE LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11,1904.

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Patented May 2, 1905.

JOHN S. TILLEY, OF WATERVLET, NEW YORK.

EXTENSIBLE LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,963, dated May 2, 1905.

Application led Marci; ll', 1904. Serial No. 197,731.

lo (1,7/2/ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN S. TILLEY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Watervliet, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Extensible Ladders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in extensible ladders, and has for its primary object to provide locking means therefor whi-ch may be effectually controlled from the base of the ladder.

A convenient embodiment of the invention embraces the provision of a pivoted bail mounted upon a base or fixed section of the ladder and arranged to drop or be thrown beneath a round of the extended section and means for manipulating said bail, said means according to its position serving, as conditions require, as a support to retain the bail in inoperative position, in combination with a rest or abutment for the bail when in locking position.

The invention further contemplates the structural characteristics of the aforesaid locking instrumentalities and means for mounting the same, whereby the ladder is devoid of lateral projecting portions extending beyond the side or hand rails thereof.

The novel details in the construction and arrangement of the several` parts of the construction will be apparent from the detailed description hereinafter when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and wherein the above-mentioned embodiment is illustrated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the extensible ladder provided with the present improvements, the extendible section of the ladder being in its lowermost position and occupying' a space in rear of the ordinary stationary section coincident therewith, the lockingbail appearing' in inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the extendible section elevated somewhat, the locking-bail being shown in its locking position. Figs. 3 and L are respectively longitudinal sectional views of Figs. l and 2 looking to the right in each instance, and Fig. 5 is adetail perspective i view of the locking-bail.

Referring' more specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several views, A designates the bottom or fixed section of the ladder, and B the extendible section thereof slidably mounted thereon and in rear thereof, this latter section being somewhat narrower than the section A, whereby the side rails of the extendible section may fit within and slide between the-corresponding side rails of said fixed section, as clearly shown in the first four figures of the drawings.

Suitabl y secured to the fixed section A, preferably to the side rail c thereof, I provide a series of rearwardly-extended bracketsO, a series being provided for each side rail and arranged at separated points therealong, as many being provided as may be found expedient, the same having inturned ends 0 projecting behind the side rails of the extendible section, whereby said section may be maintained at all times in operable relation to the fixed section A. Conveniently at a point intermediate the brackets just referred to I provide a rest or abutment D, for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to, this rest being constituted by a piece of strap metal bent around the extendible section B and rigidly secured at its ends, to the section A, whereby the same also serves in an auxiliary capacity as an additional g'uideor retaining means for the extendible section.

F is a locking-bail for sustaining the extendible section in adjusted elevated position, the same being' clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. It has been found practicable to form this bail of a single heavy wire; but it is not intended that this special formation be adhered to. The bail is provided with pivoteyes f, adapted to encompass and slide upon one of the ordinary rounds G of' the stationary section A or a round specially provided for the purpose. The connecting portion H of the bail is arranged to fall rearwardly upon the rest or abutment D, as in Fig. 2, to sustain the extendible section, the adjacent round of said section, according to the degree of elevation thereof, resting upon the side IOO arms H of the bail, as in Fig. 4. That no impediment may be oered to the equidistancing of the rounds of the ladder irrespective of the adjustment of the extendible section I dispose the rest or abutment D in a plane slightly lower than the round of the fixed section nearest thereto and project the holding portions of the bail outwardly from beneath the round to which they are pivoted, whereby when the extendible section is supported by the bail the adjacent pairs of rounds of the two sectionsof the ladder will be in horizontal alinement. The means for manipulating the bail may now be described.

Extending parallel to one of the side members H of the bail and from the opposite side of the pivot-eye thereof is an extension J, terminating in an eye j', bent outwardly at right angles therefrom. Adapted to pass through this eye j is an operating cable or rope K, the upper end of which passes around a swiveled pulley L,suspended from the uppermost round of the stationary section A of the ladder and thence downwardly therefrom between the two sections to the lowermost round of the extendible section B, where it is securely fastened. The opposite end of the cable or rope simply hangs downwardly upon the face of the stationary section A to a point readily accessible to a person at the base of the ladder. From the foregoing the operation of the parts may be followed. Assuming that the ladder-sections are in the relative positions shown in Fig. l and it is desired to elevate the extendible section, it is simply necessary to draw upon the free end of the rope or cable K, which operating over the pulley L at the upper round of the stationary section and through the medium of the opposite end of the cable secured to the section B will elevate said section B, and as soon as the same has attained the desired elevation a slackening of the cord by the operator will permit the bail to fall by gravity into the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby locking the extendible section in place. This falling of the bail is assured yby the predominance of the weight thereof being in rear of the round to which it is pivoted. During the movement just described the depending free end of the operating-cable is held slightly to the left, which correspondingly holds the bail at its extreme left position, Fig. Q, so that the other end of the cable running to the lower round of the extendible section will not be in the path of falling of the bail. On the other hand, when it is desired to permit the extendible section to lower, the free end of the operating cable or rope is drawn to the right, as shown in Fig. 1, which will correspondingly draw the bail to the right, bringing the connecting portion thereof in front of the rear depending portion of the cable, whereby said cable prevents the falling of the bail. This is shown in Fig. l.

To prevent excessive forward swinging of the bail, I provide a stop M, arranged to engage the rear edge of one of the side rails of the section B, although under ordinary conditions the forward depending portion of the operating-cable, which, as shown in Fig. l, is at all times in front of the bail, will be sufficient for this purpose.

Although the operation above described is that preferably employed, yet under some conditions it is not essential that the rear depending portion of the cable bein the path of falling movement of the bail, because the end extension of the bail and cable loosely engaging the same if held taut will retain the bail in inoperative position.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosure herein made, excepting in so far as any feature thereof may be specifically included in the hereto-appended claims, as it is obvious that slight changes may be made in the same without in the least departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an extensible ladder, two sections, a cable for elevating one of the sections relative to the other, and a pivoted locking-bail elevated by said cable and arranged to fall by gravity into locking position, a portion of said operating-cable constituting a stop to prevent the falling of said bail when the extendible section of the ladder is being lowered, in combination with means operatively engaging the bail with the cable whereby the bail may be shifted away from or in front of said stop portion of said cable.

2. In an extensible ladder, two sections, a

cable for elevating one of the sections relative to the other, and a bail having a substantially straight locking portion controlled by said elevating means, said bail having an extension arranged parallel with one of the sides of said locking portion thereof and provided with an eye through which the cable passes.

3. In an extensible ladder, two sections, a cable for elevating one of the sections relative to the other, and a pivoted locking-bail elevated by said cable and arranged to fall by gravity into locking position, a portion of said operating-cable constituting a stop to prevent the falling of said bail when the extendible section of the ladder is being lowered, in combination with means operatively engaging the bail with the cable whereby the bail may be shifted away from or in front of said stop portion of the said cable, and means for limiting the outward movement of the bail.

4. In an extensible ladder, two sections, a cable for elevating one of the sections relative to the other, and a' bail having asubstantially straight locking portion controlled by said elevating means, said bail having an extension arranged parallel with one of the sides of said locking portion thereof.

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5. In an extensible ladder, two sections, means for elevating one of the sections relative to the other comprising a cable having a depending free operating end and an opposite depending portion passing aroundthe upper part of the stationary section, between the two sections, and fastened to the lower portion of the extendible section, and a locking-bail controlled by said cable having a portion arranged to project beneath the rounds of the extendible section, and means for supporting the bail whereby the same may be shifted from a position in front of the rear depending portion of the cable to a position away therefrom when in elevated position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In an extensible ladder, two sections, a cable for elevating one of the sections relative to the other, and a shiftable locking-bail engaged by and controlled by said cable, a portion of said cable remote from the portion thereof engaging the bail constituting a stop for limiting the outward movement of the bail when the same is in inoperative position.

7 In an extensible ladder, two sections, a cable for elevating one of the sections relative to the other, and a bail having a substantially straight locking portion controlled by said elevating' means, said bail having an extension arranged parallel with and in front of one of the sides of said locking portion thereof provided with an eye through which the cable passes.

8. In an extensible ladder, two sections, a cable for elevating one of the sections relative to the other, and a locking-bail controlled by said elevating means, said bail being formed of wire bent into oppositely-disposed eyes engaging a round of the ladder to pivotally supporlt said bail and an extension engaged by the cab e.

9. In an extensible ladder, two sections, a cable for elevating one of the sections relative to the other, and a locking-bail controlled by said elevating means, said bail being formed of wire bent into oppositely-disposed eyes engaging a round of the ladder to pivotally support said bail and an extension having an eye through which the cable passes.

10. In an extensible ladder, two sections, a cable for elevating one of the sections relative to the other, .and a locking-bail controlled by said elevating means, said bail being formed of wire bent into oppositely-disposed eyes engaging a round of the ladder to pivotally support said bail and an extension arranged parallel with one of the side members of the locking portion thereof and having an eye through which the cable passes.

l1. In an extensible ladder, two sections` a locking-bail therefor, a stop for said bail, and means whereby said bail may be shifted away from or in front of said stop.

12. In an extensible ladder, two sections, a cable for elevating one of the sections relative to the other, and a locking-bail operated by said cable, a portion of said cable constituting a stop for said bail, in combination with means whereby the bail may be shifted laterally away from or in front of the said stop portion of said cable.

13. In an extensible ladder, two sections, a locking-bail therefor, a stop for said bail and means whereby the said bail may be shifted laterally away from or in front of the said stop.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN S. TILLEY.

Witnesses:

MABEL TILLEY, RUTH D. TANNER. 

